Aging & Independence Archives

Your Guide to Hip Replacement

Oct 29, 2024 · Kate Brophy · Aging & Independence

If you have osteoarthritis in your hip, there likely will come a time when nonsurgical treatment approaches are not sufficient and your doctor recommends joint replacement. The procedure involves removing damaged joint surfaces and replacing them with artificial ones. This is an intimidating prospect, but the decision to go ahead … Read More

Think Carefully Before Asking for Antibiotics

Oct 29, 2024 · Kate Brophy · Aging & Independence

Since their initial use in the 1940s, antibiotics have greatly reduced death rates from infectious illnesses. But recent research (Clinical Infectious Diseases, April 22) underlines the fact that the drugs often are prescribed for conditions they don’t treat. Other research suggests that even when these drugs are correctly prescribed people … Read More

Managing the Flu

Oct 29, 2024 · Rosanne Leipzig, MD, PhD · Aging & Independence

I recently received my annual flu shot—it’s something I schedule each year, as soon as the updated vaccines become available. Getting a yearly flu shot is the most effective way to avoid the serious complications that can accompany the flu in older adults (such as pneumonia). Most Americans are aware … Read More

Newsbriefs: Dementia; Kratom Alert; Double Mastectomy; AREDS2 Formula Benefits

Oct 29, 2024 · Kate Brophy · Aging & Independence

PD Dementia Less Common Than Previously Thought Research has suggested that about 80 percent of people who have Parkinson’s disease (PD) develop dementia within 15 to 20 years of being diagnosed with PD. But a new study (Neurology, Aug. 7) indicates that the risk of dementia may be lower than … Read More

Know Where to Go for Local Support and Advice

Oct 29, 2024 · Kate Brophy · Aging & Independence

If you are an older adult living alone, experiencing health issues, or taking care of a spouse or other relative who is dealing with chronic illness, there may be times when you feel as if there is nowhere you can turn for help and advice. You wouldn’t be alone if … Read More

Avoid the Flu This Winter

Oct 29, 2024 · Kate Brophy · Aging & Independence

Last flu season saw at least 35 million illnesses, 400,000 hospitalizations, and 25,000 deaths due to the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). While that counts as moderate by the CDC’s standards, older adults remain the group hardest hit by the flu: Up to 85 … Read More

Ask the Experts: Nutrient Absorption in Older Age; Alzheimer’s Blood Test; Dietary Sources of Melatonin

Oct 29, 2024 · UHN Staff · Aging & Independence

Why are older adults less able to absorb calcium, vitamin B12, and iron from food? Your ability to absorb calcium from dietary sources depends on having sufficient levels of vitamin D, since the latter increases calcium absorption from food. Vitamin D is synthesized in the skin with exposure to sunlight, … Read More

Be Aware of Pneumonia Symptoms and Vaccination’s Role in Prevention

Sep 25, 2024 · Rochelle Nataloni · Aging & Independence

Sometimes what seems like a bad cold is actually much more than that. For instance, pneumonia is a potentially fatal lung infection that can be mistaken for bronchitis, asthma, the flu, and— yes—even the common cold. More than 90 percent of pneumonia deaths occur in people ages 65 and older. … Read More

Ask the Experts: BMI in Older Age; Nasal Decongestant Dependence; Colonoscope Controls

Sep 25, 2024 · UHN Staff · Aging & Independence

I’ve read that people ages 65 and older have a higher life expectancy when their body mass index is in the overweight category. Can you please comment on this? Body mass index (BMI) is a ratio of weight to height that has long been used to assess whether people are … Read More

MGH Researchers Pioneering New Stroke, Parkinson’s Treatment Technologies

Aug 26, 2024 · UHN Staff · Aging & Independence

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers are harnessing advanced technology that could soon give doctors more options for treating two challenging conditions: Parkinson’s disease (PD) and stroke. Research published recently in Nature Communications involved the creation of an “atlas” of brain regions affected by PD and an algorithm that may help … Read More

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